NJ officials say locally grown produce is not linked to cyclospora
NJ growers say there's a big difference between locally sourced lettuce and mass-produced bagged lettuce.
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Questioning produce purchases as the cyclospora parasite has been found all over the country - including New Jersey?
At last count, there were up to 80 cyclosporiasis cases reported in New Jersey by the CDC.
Symptoms include nausea and diarrhea that can first manifest up to a week after exposure.
The New Jersey Department of Agriculture says no produce from the Garden State has been linked to the outbreak.
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Local farms - like Abma’s farm in Wyckoff - say customers are asking about it. The fifth-generation family farm says there’s a big difference in locally-grown produce and the mass-produced bagged lettuce that has come under scrutiny.
“I can also advise people to buy whole heads of lettuce and then wash them, rinse them," said farm manager Valerie Abma. "The bagged lettuce goes through an extra packaging process that is really not necessary. The more hands involved in the process, the more chance of contamination.”
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The CDC is working alongside the Food and Drug Administration and state and local health departments to investigate the outbreak and identify the source of the infections.
